Tomáš Milička still remembers the moment he realized he could be a good educator.

“It started when one of my students who was working with Microsoft told me I should join the Microsoft Innovative Educators program,” Milička explains. “At first, I thought I couldn’t do that, and that I had no time and no abilities for such things. But it caught my attention, and I started to look at the materials at the Microsoft Educator Community portal.… Visit the author's original post

“Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is much more than just putting devices in the hands of our students and expecting them to know how to be 21st century learners,” says MIE Expert Simon Harper. “We must create a learning environment where students use technology ubiquitously to solve real-world problems that link to communities locally and globally.”

For Harper, who has been at Killara High School for one very busy and exciting year, his key responsibility is to drive teaching and learning for students and teachers with a strong technology focus.… Visit the author's original post

When we first spoke with Nam Ngo Thanh in May, he shared his experiences as an MIE Expert, and how he uses Skype in the Classroom – one of his favorite tools for implementing global projects into his fifth-grade classroom.

Technology plays a significant role in Thanh’s classroom, and he believes the benefits are undeniable. “Technology has become an important factor in helping my teaching and learning,” says Thanh, “and also helping my students become more effective.… Visit the author's original post

Chris ThackrayDirector of Technology and eLearningWimbledon High SchoolLondon, United Kingdom@christhack

For MIEE and MIE Trainer Chris Thackray, teaching effectively is all about providing feedback, and that’s what makes OneNote his favorite classroom technology.

“With OneNote, I can really challenge students’ understanding of a topic by evaluating on-the-fly the notes they might be taking, or the collaborative piece of work they are doing,” Thackray explains. “It goes beyond the classroom, and helps my students to adjust or rethink their approach while the feedback is relevant — rather than when the topic has moved on.… Visit the author's original post

Bisera RistikjTeacher of English as a Foreign LanguageGoce Delcev Primary SchoolKavadarci, Macedonia@TeflBisera

Two years ago, Bisera Ristikj was asked to speak at an international conference in Macedonia where she shared her experiences as an MIE Expert and the advantages that came with the designation.

“I felt that I could provide so much encouragement to all the educators, so that they too can change education with their work,” she tells us. “I also felt it was important to add that the Microsoft Educator Community wouldn’t be what it is today without us educators.… Visit the author's original post

Drama is one of the most intimate, high-touch subjects taught in school. So when year 12 students in three rural classrooms (more than seven hours driving distance apart) needed a drama teacher, MIEE Deanne Joosten faced a real challenge.

“The immediate challenge,” Joosten says, “was how to take a very practical subject and teach my own class and three other schools at the same time, without disadvantaging anyone.… Visit the author's original post

Drama is one of the most intimate, high-touch subjects taught in school. So when year 12 students in three rural classrooms (more than seven hours driving distance apart) needed a drama teacher, MIEE Deanne Joosten faced a real challenge.

“The immediate challenge,” Joosten says, “was how to take a very practical subject and teach my own class and three other schools at the same time, without disadvantaging anyone.… Visit the author's original post

Zuzana Molčanová knew she wanted to be a teacher from an early age, but she had no idea what that really meant until she stood up in front of her students.

“I realized that students know a lot of information, and that I can learn from them,” she tells us. “[I knew that] if I wanted to be accepted and respected by them, I needed to respect them and be a partner and guide on their journey.”

Molčanová, who now works for Microsoft, helps other educators transform their classrooms with technology — something she did for her own students when she was a classroom teacher.… Visit the author's original post

Zuzana Molčanová knew she wanted to be a teacher from an early age, but she had no idea what that really meant until she stood up in front of her students.

“I realized that students know a lot of information, and that I can learn from them,” she tells us. “[I knew that] if I wanted to be accepted and respected by them, I needed to respect them and be a partner and guide on their journey.”

Molčanová, who now works for Microsoft, helps other educators transform their classrooms with technology — something she did for her own students when she was a classroom teacher.… Visit the author's original post

Early in MIEE Travis Goulter’s teaching career, he learned how important it is to include his students in real-world problem-solving.

“I taught at a school located in an inner-city suburb,” Goulter shares. “A number of developers wanted to start building multi-story residential and corporate buildings that had the potential to change the very dynamic of the suburb. The issue had divided the community and raised many questions and concerns. In the debate about the development proposal, a voice was missing – the voice of the students.”

Early in MIEE Travis Goulter’s teaching career, he learned how important it is to include his students in real-world problem-solving.

“I taught at a school located in an inner-city suburb,” Goulter shares. “A number of developers wanted to start building multi-story residential and corporate buildings that had the potential to change the very dynamic of the suburb. The issue had divided the community and raised many questions and concerns. In the debate about the development proposal, a voice was missing – the voice of the students.”

Laurens Derks loves Minecraft, and he can offer up countless reasons why.

“Minecraft sparks conversations and creates learning moments that are priceless,” Derks tells us. “In a Special Education environment, I used it to promote social skills. In a year-four science class, I used it to examine building materials, their purpose and the production process. In a year-five history class, we explored the Victorian Gold Rush and simulated a day in the life of a gold miner.… Visit the author's original post

For MIE Expert Jaime Toribio, new teaching and learning strategies are perfectly compatible with traditional methodology. But while new technologies allow for more efficient teamwork, according to Toribio, they can also require more motivation.

“This year my students were asked to develop different projects using OneNote, working in teams through the collaborative space,” Toribio shares. “Some tasks were done at school and some were done at home, but even not being together, they stayed connected to each other so that they could share the information.… Visit the author's original post

Bringing real-world activities into the classroom engages students and gives educators new ways to connect with them. This philosophy not only directs MIE Expert Julia Janosikova’s teaching approach, it helped her discover her calling.

“When I was a teenager, I volunteered in the Slovak (Boy) Scout organization, and there I worked with young children,” Janosikova explains. “This affected my career choice and made me see teaching more as a mission and hobby than as a job.”

Keeping up with the latest skills and technology is challenging, and many times, educators simply don’t know what technologies are available to help them in their classrooms.

This was the case for MIE Expert Lynette Barker, and then in 2014, she attended her first MIEE gathering.

“I was amazed by the creativity of others, the new programs available (I didn’t even know about OneNote) and the possibilities technology had in education,” says Barker.… Visit the author's original post

A willingness to try new things can be just as important for educators as it is for their students. Just ask Floyd Chanda..

“The biggest challenge for education today is to keep up with the pace of the changing technologies — especially in the Third World,” Chanda shares with us. “I am responding to this by encouraging my fellow educators to remain open to learning and change in the 21st century.”

Chanda loves to share the skills and knowledge he’s acquired as a Microsoft Innovator Educator Expert (MIEE) with his fellow teachers.… Visit the author's original post

Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert Blair Smith says that traveling with his parents as a child opened his eyes to the opportunities available to those with the desire to pursue their dreams. But at the small rural school where he teaches, he found that most students had never even left Central Queensland, let alone the country.

Ghandi famously said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” For educator Ramón Rodríguez Galán, being that change has transformed learning for his students and his school.

It all started when Galán decided to take the lead in modernizing the pedagogical approach at his school. Through this process, his school became a Microsoft Showcase School, and Galán himself became a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE) and an MIE Master Trainer.… Visit the author's original post

Working with bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) students in the small Texas town where President Lyndon Baines Johnson once taught transformed Miguel Guhlin’s views on education. But it was when Guhlin started sharing his teaching experiences with others that he truly found his calling.

“When I moved to East Texas, I began to write about what my students and I were doing, then share it online via the Texas Education Network (TENET),” Guhlin explains.… Visit the author's original post

As a teacher trainer, Olga Ilchenko has been working with Microsoft Innovative Educators (MIEs) and Microsoft Showcase Schools for years, always searching for the best methods for these educators and schools to apply in their classrooms. What works? As with so much we find here at Daily Edventures, there is no single silver bullet.

“It’s a mix of several different tools,” says Ilchenko. “The first rule is that teachers themselves can choose the appropriate set of tools.… Visit the author's original post

Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE) Karel Rejthar knows that his students have infinite sources from which they can learn. As a result, he doesn’t believe in “teaching,” but rather “guiding” them toward proficiency in 21st century skills.

Even so, he’s found it challenging at times to motivate his students. Then, he attended a Summer Camp for Innovative Teachers.

Benjamin KellyTeacher/Lead of Innovation DesignAnglophone East School DistrictMoncton, New Brunswick@BBTNB

Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE) Benjamin Kelly has a full toolbox when it comes to practicing Universal Design for Learning. And his favorite activities in his toolbox always include Microsoft’s Minecraft Education Edition. Why? Minecraft not only allows students to demonstrate and showcase their understanding in a wide variety of ways, “it also offers an engagement factor that encourages students’ best work,” says Kelly.

As a technology teacher and Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE), Shepherd Simango encourages his students to be explorative, especially when they are faced with a problem. For Simango and his students, mobile devices have proven to be invaluable.

“[Mobile devices] can be used for content creation using Office apps,” says Simango. “They can also be used as tools to capture and store data such as images and voice and video recordings.… Visit the author's original post

When Mohammad Aliff Bin Othman began his career as a Geography teacher, he felt the stress most new teachers feel: How could he best manage his classroom, and make sure his teaching skills were the best they could be for his students? Then in August 2016, Bin Othman was selected as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE), and his world changed dramatically.

“My greatest dream for education would be that students will move away from being just consumers of information, but become problem solvers, innovators, producers, global citizens,” says Joe Lemaron.To celebrate five years of Daily Edventures, we’re sharing some of our favorite posts. This Daily Edventure was originally published on January 17, 2012.